Samsung Galaxy Fold: what's actually changed in the new version?

Ready for launch

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Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Fold is finally being released (it was launched in Korea on September 6, and is due to launch in the UK on September 18 and in the US, we think, on September 27), and the company has made some changes to the foldable phone for its second attempt at a full, public launch.

Back in April of this year, some tech press got their hands on the first samples of the Galaxy Fold and – after they publicized a handful of glaring flaws – less than a week later Samsung delayed the release of its cutting edge phone, deciding it just wasn't ready for the market.

The company went back to development to fix the issues and bring out a second, refined version of the handset, which is the device that's ready for release. We've tried it out at IFA 2019, and here are all of the changes that Samsung has included for its new Galaxy Fold.

Change one: you can’t peel off the screen protector

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You may remember that one of the big issues with the original Galaxy Fold was the thin plastic screen protector, which had been - unbeknownst to press - integral to the design of the phone. That remains the case on the new Fold, but it's no longer terribly easy to peel off.

Despite warnings within the box as you open up the Galaxy Fold that asked you not to take off the screen protector, some reviewers who had the device did exactly that and damaged their handset in the process.

Samsung took its device and found a way to ensure you can't remove the screen protector. That's the lip that you can see in the photo above, which runs around the outside of the phone.

It's a small rim that sits around the outside of the display now holding down that screen protector so you can’t just peel it off on day one. In fact, it means you can't even tell there's a screen protector over the device.

Change two: it’s more durable than ever

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That's the biggest refinement, but it's not the only one. Lots of minor yet important changes have been brought to the Galaxy Fold for the proper release, and a lot of them relate to the durability of the phone.

For a device that bends, you'll want it to be as durable as possible. The company has added some caps to the top and bottom of the hinge so it's less likely for dirt and dust to get caught up in that important part of the phone that's being bent multiple times a day.

Samsung also added metal elements that lay underneath the screen to give the device a sturdier feel. This improves rigidity when locked into its tablet form, which makes it feel like sturdier device.

Overall, lots of minor improvements have been brought in here to try and improve the durability of the device, but until it's in people's hands, we won't really know how well these improvements have worked.

Change three: it now comes with 5G

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It doesn't look like the US will get the 5G version of the phone according to CNET and it's unclear whether Australia will be able to buy the 4G or the 5G model, but for those in the UK you’ll be only able to buy the 5G variant of the phone.

That makes sense to include the burgeoning internet technology on the device as you’re already spending a lot of money on the phone itself so you'll want it to be futureproof.

We’ll be sure to test out the 5G variant of the phone once we’ve got our hands on it in the coming weeks. Those in the UK are able to buy the phone from September 18, although it'll be exclusive to EE initially. We've yet to learn exactly when Samsung will be bringing the device to the US (rumors point to September 27) and Australia.